This recipe was the byproduct of me needing to use up a tub of ricotta cheese, having sourdough bread already made, and me purchasing figs from the farmers market on an impulse buy. Hilariously enough, it all worked out in the sense that I have three things, being bread, figs, and cheese, that go gorgeously well together. I have always loved ricotta toast, because of how versatile and simple it is. However, I always used milk bread, not sourdough, in my toasts in the past. The beautiful thing about sourdough is that the bread is spongy and porous with a nice crust. That spongy crumb structure lends itself well to being smothered in a nice spread, in this case, a creamy, salty-sweet miso-infused ricotta cheese. Figs are a tender fruit that kind of taste like a cross section between a banana, a grape, and a guava. That’s the closest approximation I could use to describe them, and I feel like it still does not do it justice. Figs are mildly sweet with crunchy seeds, and I just love mixing those with balsamic and honey to bring out the inherent sweetness in the fruit, while adding a tangy edge that they desperately lack. The reason why figs and cheese go well together is that figs are so mild and pleasantly sweet, so when you pair it with cheese, which is typically savory and salty, it works nicely together. Even ricotta, which has very little savory flavor to it, the creaminess plays off the tender texture of a fig well. And then with crusty toasted sourdough, some toasted almonds, and bee pollen, you have a simple, textural experience that conveniently uses up a lot of refrigerator stragglers!

If you want this recipe to be extremely easy, just use premade sourdough, and you can put this recipe together in probably 15 minutes. Since I made my own bread from scratch, I did include the recipe below, but keep in mind that you will be spending at least 6 hours on bread prep. Sourdough can be sticky and hard to knead, so my best tips are to keep your hands wet, and be delicate with it, kneading with only your fingers, not your palms. This version of the bread is a less-knead one just so that it makes a lot less of a mess in your kitchen – I have had experiences in the past with sourdough where mixing the dough results in 10% of it ending up on my countertop and me having to scrape it all off and it becomes a whole process to just clean up my kitchen after making the dough itself. This low-knead version, while still time-consuming, is a fast tracked way to get that crusty sourdough bread, but without needing to make a whole mess. With the garnishes, the miso ricotta spread is really easy to make, and it tastes great, having a nice creamy texture and the miso brings in a savoriness that the ricotta is sorely lacking. This spread can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, and with this recipe bordering between the two, it just worked out nicely. To add some texture, since figs and ricotta are soft and over time, the bread can get soft, I used toasted almonds for crunch. I also used bee pollen to accentuate the usage of honey, bringing in a floral touch. This toast was a great breakfast option, and truthfully, you could sub out the figs with almost any fruit, making it a near-blank canvas, perfect for any time of the year!

For the sourdough bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet active-dry yeast
12oz lukewarm water
16oz sourdough starter
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp oil

In a bowl, mix everything together until just combined. Allow the bread dough to proof at room temperature for 2 hours. Then transfer the dough into an ovenproof French oven, and proof for another 2 hours. Spray the top of the bread loaf with water. Bake the bread loaf at 30 minutes at 400 degrees F, covered. Then remove the cover and bake at 450 degrees F for another 30 minutes. Allow the bread to cool before attempting to cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices.

For the figs:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
a pinch of salt
12 black mission figs, cut into slices

In a bowl, mix together the balsamic, honey, and salt. Toss the figs in the liquid.

For the whipped ricotta:
12oz ricotta cheese
1 tsp miso paste
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, whip everything together until combined.

For garnish:
Olive oil
Toasted sliced almonds
Bee pollen

Drizzle olive oil over the bread slices and sear the slices on each side on medium heat for 2 minutes per side. Smear the ricotta cheese on top of the slices and garnish the top with the figs, almond slices, and bee pollen to finish.